With recovery in mart throughput improving further, reduced competition levels have seen hogget prices ease back by €4 to €5 per head.

The price reduction is not fully reflected in the mart table (above), with spring lambs distorting average prices.

Heavy hoggets weighing 50kg to 55kg are selling for €118 to €127 per head with only the highest quality lots rising to €130 per head. Lighter lots weighing 45kg to 50kg are selling anywhere from €105 to €120 per head with a significant differential between similar weight lambs with varying flesh cover.

Spring lamb numbers are relatively small in the west and midlands, with higher numbers on offer in the east and south east. Butchers and wholesalers continue to drive the trade although factory agents have increased activity to fill orders for the Easter market. Butcher type lambs weighing 48kg plus are selling from €125 to €130 with the highest quality lots selling to €25 per head. Lambs weighing 44kg to 48kg are selling from €70 to €80 over with lighter lambs weighing back to 38kg selling from €55 to €70 over depending on flesh cover.

Ewes with lambs at foot continue to sell from €100 for broken mouth ewes with average or crossbred single lambs to €160 for young ewes with three to four-week-old lambs. Twin lamb lots are selling from €130 for crossbred outfits to in excess of €200 for young ewes and good quality lambs.

Slaughter fit cull ewes are selling in general from €80 to €110 per head.